Emerging Opportunities in the Indian Ready-to-Eat Foods Market – a recent consumer insight report published by Datamonitor, predicts that the RTE foods market in India which was mainly driven by the export demand until recently, has matured to a stage where there is a tremendous potential for growth over the next few years. In 2009, Indian RTE foods market was estimated to be around $33.5m, registering a CAGR of approximately 15% over the last five years. At present, RTE foods with normal shelving,... ...Read more »

When it comes down to buying fresh greens, Australians are buying carrots, lettuce, potato and tomato, twice as much as any other vegetable. The data comes from a new quarterly report by Australian Vegetable Industry (AUSVEG). Chief Executive Officer of AUSVEG Richard Mulcahy said the reports are designed to get behind consumer preferences and help vegetable growers make easier product development decisions that better respond to consumer needs in future. “Understanding the industry as it moves... ...Read more »

Research by The Nielsen Company and the Natural Marketing Institute has shown that the health consciousness of consumers is directly reflected in their purchasing habits. The research divided US shoppers into five categories, which Nielsen defines as follows: “WELL BEINGS”® (19%)—the most health-proactive group; market leaders and influencers whose actions are driven by values. They eat more organics, consume modest amounts of supplements and pursue many different health modalities. “FOOD... ...Read more »

More than two-thirds of Australians, who made resolutions in January to eat better food and cut out unhealthy snacks did not manage to stick to their plans. Independent research, commissioned by McCain Foods, found while 52 per cent of Australians made a New Year’s resolution to improve their diet, most failed to keep a commitment to healthy eating beyond two months. Only 30 per cent of those that made a healthy eating resolution have kept it. A lack of time to prepare meals was the leading... ...Read more »

The latest in a long line of functional or ‘super’ foods, coloured chickpeas have recently been found to be more beneficial than the more well known cream and beige chickpeas. Coloured chickpeas have significantly higher antioxidant qualities than the regular cream and beige color varieties, according to a new study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists in Chicago. Known to be high protein, chickpeas are the second most important pulses in the... ...Read more »

New consumer research released today by Millward brown, using the ‘TrustR’ metric, named Cadbury Dairy Milk as Australia’s third most trusted brand, after Colgate and Nokia. Nescafé came in fifth, Coca-Cola’s Mount Franklin at seventh, and Woolworth’s/Safeway in the tenth place. The metric measures consumer responses to the question “How trustworthy is this brand?” and “Would you recommend this brand?” The scores are indexed and combined to... ...Read more »

An industry expert has emphasised the importance of economic and environmental sustainability in the food industry in the face of global upheaval during a speech to the British government. According to to the CEO of market insight group IGD, Joanne Denney-Finch, the food industry needs to be flexible and responsive in order to overcome the challenges of the next decade: environmental degradation, economic recession, shifting markets, climate change and a 25% increase in food requirements. “Most... ...Read more »

Asia-Pacific consumer brands will succeed in the recovering economic markets if lessons are learnt from the last two years, according to new research from independent business analyst Datamonitor. The study has revealed the difficulties brands face in capturing the attention of consumers, with 67% of Australians saying they simply don’t even notice new alcoholic drinks on the shelves. Datamonitor figures show manufacturers bombarded the FMCG market with over 1600 product innovations launched... ...Read more »

Nearly a third (30%) of shoppers claim to have specifically purchased locally-produced food over the last month, double the number from 2006, according to new consumer research released by food and grocery analysts IGD. Support for ethically produced foods in general has withstood the pressures of an 18-month recession and is in fact growing. When asked about food they have specifically purchased over the last month, shoppers responded: * 30% said locally produced food (up from 15% in 2006) * 27%... ...Read more »

The latest Nielsen Top 100 Brands – released this week – has shown food products dominating the leading grocery products in 2009, with Cadbury claiming top place in consumers’ hearts. The UK-based confectioner – soon to be purchased by Kraft – saw their Cadbury brand surpass the ever popular Coca-Cola beverage and Bega cheese. Rounding out the top five were Smith’s and Kleenex Cottonelle. “Recognising that consumers own and determine the performance and... ...Read more »